There is a simple solution to both providing
more
hours of play for our children and preserving the beauty and habitat of Golden
Gate Park and Ocean Beachfor all
San
Franciscans.

The Hybrid Alternative
proposes a simple swap -- renovate
the fields at West Sunset with artificial turf that is safe and with appropriate
lighting, and renovate the Beach Chalet Athletic Fields with real grass and no
lights.

The Win-win Solution - the Hybrid Alternative

Part 1: Renovate the Beach Chalet Soccer Fields
with living grass turf and no sports lighting. There is no question that
the Beach Chalet
fields are in need of repair. We fully support efforts
to restore the Beach Chalet fields with new grading, drainage, irrigation, and sod. This will protect the
habitat and the sylvan parkland at this end of the Park, as well as preserving
the evening skies at Ocean Beach.

Part
2:Renovate the playing fieldsat
West Sunset Playground with artificial turf and night lighting. At the same time, the
City could restore West
Sunset Playground – only 8 blocks to the south -- with artificial turf that is
made of a safe material and with appropriate night lighting.

West Sunset Playground is an ideal location. Like Golden Gate Park, it is in the western
part of San Francisco, one of the project requirements. It already has athletic fields, restrooms,
bleachers and a children's playground. There is night lighting on the adjacent
basketball courts. Neighboring schools could
benefit from the longer hours of field use that a renovated playing field would
provide at West Sunset.

Results: This would create 4 upgraded natural grass fields
at Beach Chalet, and 6 soccer pitches at West Sunset (3 full sized pitches and
3 U10 pitches). This would result in
almost as many play hours as the proposed Project, while restoring both play
areas and achieving all project objectives for comparable cost.

Maintenance:
This proposal swaps the location of the natural
grass fields, so there should be no increase in maintenance costs over the
current proposal.

Funding: The Beach Chalet soccer complex
is being funded partly by the 2008 Clean and Safe Neighborhood Parks Bond. The City is planning to renovate the West
Sunset Playground and facilities with $13.2 million as part of the 2012 Clean
and Safe Neighborhood Parks Bond. If the 2012 Parks Bond is not successful, then a new bond can be created that takes
care of both projects, as needed.

A Superior alternative: The Hybrid Alternative is environmentally
superior and achieves all
Project objectives, while avoiding the significant negative impacts on the
natural, historic, and aesthetic resources of the western end of Golden Gate
Park.

This
proposed Hybrid Alternative meets everyone’s
needs, and should be supported by all decision makers.We look forward to working
with the Department on this win-win solution.